


i've been sleeping in a cardboard box

by succ_ka_bvi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, And Mark is just Mark lmao, Basically Hyuck is a monster sort of thing, Comfort, Insecurity, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Roommates, Supernatural Elements, lapslock, wbk sis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 06:56:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18889456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/succ_ka_bvi/pseuds/succ_ka_bvi
Summary: mark reassures hyuck once again that he's not like the other monsters out there..





	i've been sleeping in a cardboard box

**Author's Note:**

> title is random lol bc i can't think of one at this time

“just admit it. i'm hideous.” 

hyuck's muffled voice full of hurt wavered at the word  _hideous_ , light sniffles coming from wherever the boy was hidden. mark just wanted to know what was wrong with him, never suggested anything like that at all. huffing half-heartedly, mark goes around their now shared apartment in attempt at finding hyuck, easily making his way towards his own bed in their room and lifting up the duvet to reveal the curled up boy beneath it. 

“go away!” the growl caught at the back of the younger's throat barely affected mark anymore, deciding to pull hyuck out with a small struggle before managing to get him sat on his bed. still growling, hyuck's tiny points for fangs poked out in a threatening manner, which only amused mark even further. 

“calm down and tell me what's up.” 

hyuck tends to have these moments where he gets upset with himself, mark had learnt. ever since that night hyuck.. randomly appeared in mark's bedroom, there hadn't been a week which wouldn't conclude in the boy's temper skyrocketing. problem after problem, sort of like the point of a comedy, except at first mark never wanted to laugh at hyuck. 

not when he hisses with  _that_ hiss, or bares his teeth and stalks closer. until mark learned that hyuck was all bark and not bite, anger turning into frustration, and then eventually ending in sadness. all because of one thing. 

hyuck's insecurities. 

obviously it's something mark shouldn't be amused by, and he isn't. but all of the things hyuck comes out with, it makes mark laugh in disbelief most of the time because — how could hyuck think that he's hideous. 

hideous when he smiles with those cute little teeth of his on display. (the teeth that mark had to brush for the couple of weeks since hyuck's breath was deathly.)

the boy complains that his fangs are no where near as long as they should be in comparison to the others of his kind, but mark just asks him what's the point in having longer fangs when he's got no one to scare anyway.

and if hyuck is that ansty about his teeth, then goodness is he insecure about his skin. 

mark also learnt that hyuck had an interest in makeup, out of all things. monsters should be lurking in the dark, hiding in wardrobes and terrifying humans to death, but no. hyuck just wants to be pretty — if mark's going to put it in the boy's words exactly. 

hyuck had a small makeup collection, but whenever mark would come back from study periods he'd always find him painting his face with a tan shade of nude, pouting since hyuck has to use most of it to cover his ears and neck as well. there would never be a shade of foundation to match hyuck's, since his skin was almost grey. almost, but there was still elements of tan there, just dull. 

hyuck wanted to be normal. no  _it_. hyuck wanted to be a boy (with longer teeth, that is.) mark always makes sure to use  him  when talking about the younger to his other friends, smiling when hyuck comes out from the shadows with a grin on his face once mark's friends leave their apartment. 

you see, no one could know that he has a mythical being for a roommate, so mark had to pretend he was an ordinary student just like himself, except with way more of a life than him since his friends could never actually see the boy. not with his silver tuffs for hair, or the small horns on either side of his head which curled downwards, more like a baby mountain goat than a monster. or his dark claws for nails. no one could see hyuck but mark, and it was a shame. 

especially in these moments where hyuck doesn't feel pretty, because it could take at least one million people to convince hyuck he was beautiful despite being labelled a monster. 

that word. _monster_. hyuck hated it so much. 

he'd never associated himself with the other monsters out there, not once missing a chance to spit venom about them, or always turning the tv off in frustration when the topic pops up in the news. mark promised to never bring them up ever. 

he was completely fine with calling hyuck a boy, since he looked like one mostly. normal nose, ears, lips, body. hyuck was nothing like a monster, just some lazy, whiny roommate. 

and a loud one at most, since hyuck was now yelling at him to leave his own room. 

“get out or i'll rip your arm off!” it was a lame threat, mark knew that. although hyuck's nails could truly grow long, the boy always filed them down until they're clean cut. mark had nothing to worry about. 

“calm, calm..” sitting on the bed in front of hyuck, mark slowly reached up with his hand and started petting his hair softly, watching hyuck's expression change from fury to frustration, dark eyebrows now arching upwards as a pout forms on his once pale lips, now coated in a pink gloss. “what's wrong, haechanie?” 

for a while those lips of hyuck's opened and closed, pursing as the cogs in his brain turned until words finally began to form. “i don't know..” 

his voice was small again, shoulders slumping and head dropping in defeat. mark brought hyuck closer until his arms were fully wrapped around the younger, not caring if those horns of his dug into his chest as he was more concerned about hyuck's feelings at the moment. 

“you don't know?” mark repeated, rubbing hyuck's back and patiently waiting for some sort of response or explanation. even though it was the same every time, mark couldn't help but feel some sort of pain, since all that washed over hyuck's face was shame. 

“i don't want to be one of them...” hyuck's voice went from small to thin, whispering the last few words before burying his face in mark's chest. it took a couple seconds for mark to realise what the wetness seeping through his shirt was, but once he saw the small shoulders in front of him shake as hyuck tried to cover up his hitched breathing with steady ones, mark pulled away from the tight hug to cup hyuck's cheeks and press their foreheads together. 

slowly, thick tears let go from the corners of hyuck's eyes, painting black down his cheeks and trickling over mark's fingers like charcoal coloured paint. 

“hey, hey. don't cry, haechanie.” mark attempted to wipe the tears away, ending up smudging them slightly on his cheeks instead. and as more and more black seeped out of hyuck's eyes, mark found it harder to rub them off, only staining his fingertips in the process. 

looking into hyuck's eyes, it was hard to see the loving brown orbs under the thick black that clouded over the boy's sense of vision. “i can't.. I can't even cry like a normal person. i'm disgusting, look at your hands.” 

hyuck gripped mark's wrist for a moment, staring in disgust before releasing small sobs. “i'm sorry.” 

“don't apologise when you haven't done anything wrong.” despite hyuck's tears, mark cupped his warm cheeks anyway. “i know what you're gonna say and it's all not true. hyuck, i like having you around and you're the most loving best friend and  person  i could possibly have. don't try and say otherwise, boi.” 

and hyuck couldn't help but smile lightly, blinking away the inky tears that had collected at the tips of his eyelashes. “bu-” 

“no buts.” mark interrupted. “you're not ugly, hyuck. you're more stunning than any human i've ever seen, and i've told you this multiple times but you can't seem to get it in that thick skull of yours.” mark joked, tapping the side of hyuck's head in which the younger giggled at. “you don't need to cry over this, y'know.” 

hyuck's mouth stretched into a grin, flashing those cute teeth of his as he jumped at his roommate to give him a hug, wiggling his butt and burying his face in his neck. wiping his tears against the exposed skin on mark's neck, hyuck chirped an  _okay_ before nibbling on his shoulder in affection. 

_ well that was easy.  _

**Author's Note:**

> idk i had this idea sorta
> 
> not proof read lmao


End file.
